The Dos And Don’ts Of Short-Sleeved Shirts

Today, in the next edition of our warm-weather primer, we concentrate on another key high summer piece that men continue to get wrong and/or shy away from: the short-sleeved shirt.

It’s fair to say that if you polled a cross section of sartorially-inclined men and asked them to list their top three summer faux pas, short-sleeved shirts would be right up there. Obviously not ahead of socks with sandals or three-quarter lengths but, still, they would be pretty high.

You can understand why. When done wrong, this item can transform a well-executed warm-weather look into “Barry from I.T. repairs” instantly. Combine that with the awful colours, cuts and patterns that have saturated the market in recent years and the short-sleeved shirt deserved to be relegated to the summer sins category.

Thankfully, things are beginning to change. Following their recent resurgence on US street style blogs, coinciding with a few awesome pictures of Nick Wooster rocking them, popular opinion has started to shift from “if I want short sleeves, I’ll just roll them up” to “sun’s out, guns out”.

And as long as you bear in mind the dos and don’ts below, there’s no reason why the short-sleeved shirt can’t become a versatile weapon in your high summer arsenal…

Do: Nail The Fit

Surprise surprise. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this will always be the most important thing you can do for your personal style. No matter what your budget, making sure your clothes fit you perfectly is essential to pulling off ANY look, piece or trend.

When it comes to short-sleeved shirts, there are two main areas you need to focus on: the sleeves and shoulders. The shirt should fit well across your shoulders without being too tight around your chest or through the sides. If you start to see any pulling or creasing in material – chest buttons and the upper back are two hot spots – start to think about sizing up or trying a different cut.

As for the sleeves, they should finish around mid-bicep and allow a single finger between the fabric and your arm – we don’t want any of this baggy sleeve nonsense.

Everything else can be easily tailored to achieve your preferred fit.

Topman Burgandy Melange Short Sleeve Smart Shirt

Asos Smart Shirt In Short Sleeve With Button Down Collar

Asos Oxford Shirt In Orange With Short Sleeves

Asos Smart Oxford Shirt In Short Sleeve

Farah Vintage Short Sleeve Trent Shirt In Marine Blue

Asos Twill Shirt In Short Sleeve With Acid Wash

J.crew Regular-fit Cotton Short-sleeved Shirt

River Island Dark Red Short Sleeve Shirt

Reiss Crossfire Short Sleeve Stretch Shirt Navy

Don’t: Forget That All Shirts Are Not Created Equal

Some shirts are meant to be tucked in and some aren’t. A short-sleeved shirt can be either but it’s important to know which one you want.

Tucked in versions are generally smarter and therefore lend themselves to slim-cut legwear and quality leather shoes. Untucked shirts, on the other hand, give off a more relaxed vibe and are best combined with jeans/shorts and casual footwear silhouettes.

You can tell the difference between an untucked and to-be-tucked shirt by its length and cut. Untucked styles will be shorter in length (usually ending just below your waist) with the bottom hem squared off, rather than pointed or curved like a formal shirt is.

Lookbook Inspiration: Tucked In Shirts

Do: Consider Using Them For Office Wear

Although short-sleeved shirts are not suitable for formal office dress codes, in smart-casual working environments they make an excellent and individual alternative to traditional long-sleeved versions.

Again, you have to nail the fit, stick to conservative colours (like white, blue and pink) and classic patterns for this aesthetic to work – but if you do, the short-sleeved shirt can be your secret weapon for fighting the heat while looking put together for the office this summer.

And yes, you can even wear a tie with them – just make sure its width is in proportion to the shirt, i.e slim.

Lookbook Inspiration: Smart-Casual Outfits

Don’t: Forget About Patterns & Fabrics

This is what summer is all about: having a bit of fun and letting loose.

Block-colours and stripes are typically associated with business wear, so why not opt for a gingham or plaid short-sleeved shirt in contrasting hues such as red and blue?

Our recommendation for SS14 would be a dark coloured madras shirt, which will keep you cool and works just as well with chino shorts and boat shoes as it does with indigo selvedge jeans and suede loafers.

Do: Look For Unique Detailing

One easy way of making your short-sleeved shirt stand out from the crowd is with your choice of collar. Both band and Cuban collars are trending for SS14 and can help bring a modern, individual twist to a classic piece.

Alternatively, try a short-sleeved popover shirt. For those that don’t know, a popover style is simply a front fastening, button-up shirt, but the placket stops around halfway down (similar to a polo/Henley). This shortened placket gives the shirt a casual feel that works perfectly with shorts, light washed jeans or block-coloured chinos.

Lastly, patterned and contrast colour trims have become extremely popular in recent years and can add a subtle differential to your look once you give your shirt sleeves a couple of folds.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Reiss Alder Cuban Collar Shirt Navy

Reiss Antonio Cuban Collar Shirt

Asos Space Dye Shirt In Short Sleeve With Resort Slub

Topman White Short Sleeve Stand Collar Oxford Shirt

Asos Denim Shirt In Short Sleeve With Contrast Stripe Trim

Topman Blue Twill Star Design Short Sleeve Shirt

River Island Purple Grandad Collar Shirt

River Island Turquoise Grandad Shirt

River Island Teal Textured Short Sleeve Shirt

Kolor Printed Wool Shirt

Beams Plus Printed Linen Shirt

Alexander Wang Oversized Printed Cotton Shirt

Final Word

So there you have it, a few dos and don’ts when it comes to buying and wearing short-sleeved shirts this summer.

But as always, we want to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments sections below…